College graduation can be an exciting and scary time for students ready to jump into the job market. "I would really like to be able to get a good job when I get out, so I feel like getting that resume ready right now would be really important. It's about time to start sending out applications," says Emily McGlothlin.

Emily McGlothlin will graduate in august from ETSU with her master's degree in higher education counseling. She tells us she's a little concerned about finding a job because some of her friends aren't having any luck.

That's why she came to ETSU's Career Services to get help with her resume. "They're just not finding anything right yet or they're not getting and call backs so that's kind of worrisome," adds McGlothlin.

We learned the job market is actually starting to look up. "April has specifically been the highest job posting that we've had all year, so I can see that the trend is beginning to improve and go up," says Ruth Wilbanks.

Ruth Wilbanks is the Information Research Technician for ETSU's Career Services. She tells us the job openings are in many industries, specifically for "science students, chemistry, mathematics, engineering technology, and business management."

We checked and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in February, in Washington County, Tennessee the unemployment rate was a little over 6 percent. In Sullivan County it was 7.1 percent.

In Washington County, Virginia the unemployment rate in February was 6.5 percent. "We're pleased with a little bit of a turnaround in the market with more opportunities happening in the region, but we're also encouraging them not just to look locally but think more national and globally," adds Calvin Purvis with ETSU's Career Services.

For those ready to transition from student to employee, like Emily McGlothlin, this news is promising and she's keeping her options open. "I'm getting everything done and ready. Having to move and get a new job is kind of stressful, but I think it'll all work out well in the end," she said.

We learned the Career Services at ETSU works with students and employers to get a list of openings. They tell us they're receiving a lot of calls with open positions but they do encourage graduates to start looking for jobs sooner rather than later.